Why I Refuse to Give Up My Morning Coffee

There is a deep divinity about the few first few moments when I open my eyes in the morning. The solitude, the stillness, the calm, but most importantly, the realization that I will be sipping on my cup of coffee in a few minutes.

Coffee. My friend, my grounding point, my morning routine.

My admiration of coffee doesn’t have deep roots in the history of my life; I only learned to love it with my first job five years ago. It came to me as a manifestation, a break from my bleak desk and an excuse to socialize with my new colleagues. Soon enough, its bitter taste and sweet aroma became an addiction; one cup became three, and the hours between 11 AM and 2 PM were dreadfully long.

Three jobs later and I still carry those cravings with me. But now that I am a freelancer, my mornings aren’t as rushed and my first cup of coffee is mindfully indulged in. In fact, it acts as a closure for my morning routine which consists of:

Laying in bed for a few minutes and appreciating the rare moments of total peace
Brushing my teeth
Making my bed
Meditating for 20 minutes
Having coffee while catching up on news

With the last sip, I become aware that it’s time to get to work. But I do it with joy because I know that I have attended to my personal morning time -a time that has been specifically designed for me, by me. But why is this so important?

Famous athletes, business tycoons, presidents and all successful people have one thing in common: they have cultivated a morning routine that serves them in the best way possible.

Barack Obama starts his day at 6:45 AM with a workout followed by reading several newspapers, having breakfast with his family and finally heading to work by 9 AM. Michelle Gass, President of the giant chain, Starbucks, wakes up at 4:30 AM to go running. Steve Jobs looked in the mirror every morning and asked “If today was my last day, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer was “No” for too many days in a row, he said “… I know I need to change something.”

We may not be the Obama’s or Gass’ and Jobs’ of the world, but we all have a purpose that we aim to fulfill everyday. Roy F. Baumeister, psychologist and author, suggest in his book “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength” that our willpower is strongest in the morning, meaning that if we set our mind to accomplish something over the next 24 hours when we wake up, then we are most likely to achieve it.

Many of us make the mistake of assuming that we are night owls and that the morning is the enemy, and I was no exception to this. But as the number of candles on my cake increased and the days dragged on in mental and physical exhaustion, I started to not only appreciate sleep but to daydream about the moment I jump into bed. And so, I convinced myself to be up by 7 AM and to completely forget about the snooze button. But my plan completely backfired.
Although I was successful at waking up to my first alarm, I was groggy and bitter. I would skip breakfast and drag my feet into the office with a huge frown on my face. I was tired and didn’t want to be spoken to until at least 9 AM.

A few months into this vicious routine, I realized how I actually felt worse. After much research I learned that my foundations were wrong; sure I woke up early, but I didn’t go to bed at a time that would give me enough hours of sleep. A few weeks and self experimentations later, my body adjusted to having lights out by 10:30 PM and waking up gracefully at 7 AM. A good night’s sleep meant waking up in a good mood and wanting to have breakfast, and I was so surprised by the big changes these small modifications made that I continued to make more. Now, here I am, with an effective sleep AND morning routine.

Transitioning into becoming a morning person is difficult and appalling to many, but it is worth it.

It doesn’t happen over night and the key is to take it one step at a time, literally. I started by setting my alarm back by fifteen minutes every two days. It took me a few weeks to finally reach my goal but I have been stuck to it ever since, including weekends.

My mornings set the standard for the rest of my day. They are also empowering; they act as a compelling reminder that I am entitled to some quality me time, which is something I believe everyone deserves.

So why not take the first step? Go to bed thirty minutes earlier tonight and wake up fifteen minutes earlier tomorrow morning. Pre-prepare a breakfast when you get back from work today and maybe even download a playlist that will help you wake up in the morning. Most importantly, don’t forget to brew that cup of coffee.